i5

Intel on Monday introduced new low-voltage Core processors for the ultrathin laptop segment.

The laptop designs in this segment have been symbolized to date by the less-than-one-inch-thick Apple MacBook Air and Dell Adamo--which use Intel processors that draw relatively little power compared with standard mobile processors. But those are pricey, luxury notebooks beyond the price range that Intel is targeting with the newest processors.

"It will fit the consumer system price point. Very affordable systems," Mooly Eden, vice president and general manager of the PC Client Group at Intel, said during a video conference Monday morning. Though Eden … Read more

A prototype iPhone 4G is powered by an Apple processor similar to the one found in the iPad, according to published reports Wednesday.

iFixit said Wednesday that the iPhone 4G prototype torn down on a Vietnamese Web site uses a chip that has markings similar to the iPad's A4 processor.

"[Wednesday's] photos from Vietnam of a leaked iPhone 4G prototype contain legible part numbers revealing [the] new iPhone's processor: the Apple A4," iFixit said.

If an Apple A4-class chip actually makes it into the final version of the iPhone 4G, consumers would likely see another … Read more

If you're in the military or working in rough field conditions and need a computer upgrade, you're in luck: Panasonic has just announced the upgraded Toughbook 31, a new successor to its most-rugged Toughbook line.

With a weight and thickness that would be unappealing to anyone but those who need serious environmental armor, the Toughbook 31 comes with either an Intel Core i3 or i5 processor, optional ATI HD 5630 graphics, and up to a claimed 11 hours of battery life.

A 13.3-inch LED-backlit touch-screen display has CircuLumin technology that Panasonic says will enable viewing of the … Read more

With nothing fresh on the outside, all the newness of the just-announced 15-inch MacBook Pro is on the inside, as iFixit illustrates in its latest teardown.

What is of interest to most, of course, is the Intel Core i5 and i7 processors. MacBook Pros use these chips--built on Intel's latest 32-nanometer manufacturing process--for the first time.

The Core i5 processor package (the upper Intel chip package in the photo) actually contains two chips (which can't be seen in the teardown, as it only shows the outside of the packages). But inside each Intel CPU is the processor die … Read more

So, the new MacBook Pros have made their debut, and as always we're left re-evaluating our list of features we hoped Apple would add. We had a rundown on our most-desired MacBook features back in January when the iPad was announced. Revisiting that list, we're happy to say that some indeed came to pass.

Intel's new Core i5 and i7 CPUs made it into this MacBook Pro generation, with the exception of the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

(What we said then: "We're not saying that any laptop without Intel's new mainstream CPUs is ready for the recycling bin, but now would be an ideal time to update the processors inside the entire line, to take advantage of the improved power efficiency and other advantages of the new Core i-series chips.")

We're also pleasantly surprised to see that Apple included automatic graphics switching, enabling MacBook Pros to enjoy a similarly seamless way to activate and deactivate discrete graphics in a way comparable to what we've seen in Nvidia's new Optimus laptop graphics.

There's even another boost to battery life, too. Yet, despite addressing a few of our biggest wishes, a lot of features remain to be addressed. Here's our short list of five, culled from our previous post with a few new additions. … Read more

The chips inside Apple's new MacBook Pros that were unveiled Tuesday are very different than their predecessors. Here's why.

32-nanometer process technology: MacBook Pros use, for the first time, Intel's Core i5 and Core i7 processors. These chips are built on Intel's latest 32-nanometer manufacturing process technology, while the older Core 2 Duo technology uses a 45-nanometer process. Generally, the smaller the geometries, the faster and/or more power efficient the processor is.

Hyper-Threading: Hyper-Threading can double the number of tasks--or threads--a processor can execute. So, a two-core processor can handle four threads. This technology is not offered on prior-generation Core 2 chips. Apple describes it as follows: "Built-in Hyper-Threading allows two threads to run simultaneously on each core, so Mac OS X recognizes four virtual cores instead of just two. When you're running multiple applications at once, the Core i5 and Core i7 processors spread tasks more evenly across a greater number of cores."

Turbo Boost: The Core i series of chips use Turbo Boost, which speeds up or slows down individual cores to meet processing or power efficiency needs. This, like Hyper-Threading, is not available on older Core 2 Duo chips. Apple describes it as follows: "If you're using processor-intensive applications like Aperture 3 or Final Cut Pro that would benefit from an extra performance kick, Turbo Boost dynamically increases the speed of one or both cores, taking a 2.66GHz MacBook Pro all the way up to 3.33GHz." In other words, processors get automatically "overclocked"--previously the exclusive domain of high-end gamers--when necessary.

Updated Nvidia graphics silicon: And where would updated MacBook Pros be without new and improved Nvidia graphics processors. Inside the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models is the Nvidia GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics processor, what Apple calls "the fastest graphics ever in a Mac notebook." The GT 330M increases the number of processing cores to 48, compared to 32 in the previous-generation GeForce 9600M. And the new GeForce GT 330M is up to 30 percent more energy efficient than its predecessor, according to Apple.

Surprise, surprise: Intel integrated graphics: At one time thought to be the bane of Apple's existence… Read more

The 17-inch MacBook Pro has always been the domain for a special subset of people: desktop-replacement connoisseurs, fans of higher-res screens, and graphic designers in particular. The spring 2010 17-inch MacBook Pro retains nearly all of the design features from the 2009 version, but the internal components have at last received a significant boost.

As we had expected and hoped, Apple's new 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros have made the shift to Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, matching a move that the rest of the industry has rapidly made. The 17-inch Pro comes in a single 2.53GHz … Read more

As PC makers flood the market with new laptops based on the Intel Core i processors, anticipation of a refresh of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air builds every week. Here's a short MacBook wish list that may serve as a temporary salve to soothe the anxious Apple crowd.

The truism nothing succeeds like success applies in spades to the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lineups. Apple has redefined laptop computing and spawned me-too designs from just about every major laptop manufacturer. And it's easy to see why: Apple pioneered the sleek but sturdy all-aluminum laptop equipped with … Read more

It's interesting to see how design can filter down from a high-end brand through a whole series of laptops. While the original Dell Adamo, while eye-catching, was always set at a price above what most humans could pay for it, the small business-targeted Vostro 13 adopted a lot of the Adamo's clean-cut design features and offered up a far more affordable product. Dell's new lineup of Vostro laptops has shifted to similar design to the Vostro 13, but with included optical drives, a thicker chassis, and screen sizes ranging from 13.3 inches up to 17.3. … Read more